"The United States has filed a petition with the World Trade Organization (WTO) that could allow it to slap emergency tariffs or quotas on imported solar cells, according to a World Trade Organization filing released Monday.
The U.S. notified the WTO that it was launching a Safeguard investigation into crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells on behalf of Suniva, a solar company. If the investigation finds serious damage to the company based on increased imports, the U.S. may take safeguard actions, such as adding import taxes or setting import quotas.
Suniva filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 17, and alleged in the petition that an increase in imports has taken marketshare from U.S. producers such as Suniva and SolarWorld, despite an overall growth in the U.S. market. The petition alleged that 1,200 U.S. manufacturing jobs had been lost and wages had been reduced by 27 percent between 2012 and 2016."
Niv Elis reports for The Hill May 29, 2017.
